CNN —Cruise ships have doubled in size over the past two decades, a precedent that could lead to even bigger vessels plying our oceans in the future and bringing potential problems, a new report has warned. The largest passenger vessels today are twice as large as they were in 2000, says a study conducted by European clean energy lobby group Transport and Environment (T&E), which warns of the environmental impact of the “rapidly” growing global cruise industry. On its launch in 1999, Royal Caribbean’s Voyager of the Seas, which has a gross tonnage (GT) of 137,276, was the biggest cruise ship in the world. Global emissionsIt notes that CO2 emissions from cruise ships in Europe were almost 20% higher in 2022 than in 2019. Cruise ships and other maritime vessels are thought to be responsible for nearly 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions each year, according to the International Maritime Organization.

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Persons: CNN —, cruisezillas, Inesa, Bruce Weaver, “, ” CLIA Organizations: CNN, CNN — Cruise, Getty, Cruise Lines International Association, EU, Royal, Cruise, International Maritime Organization, Royal Caribbean Group Locations: AFP, Europe